


across the table, across from you

by broduce



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, what you gonn do about it, yeah im delusional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 03:25:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13895238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broduce/pseuds/broduce
Summary: guanlin wonders why jihoon doesn't sit next to him at award shows





	across the table, across from you

Guanlin fastens his pace, even as he bends his body and dips his head into an instinctive bow when he passes a few staff members. The members are ahead of him, heading for the table that their manager had pointed out earlier to them. Guanlin, usually leading the team with his long legs, finds himself at the end of the pack because he had stopped on the way to talk to Minghao and Junhui. Minhyun had joined him, clapping an arm around his shoulder as they exchanged quick words of greetings with the two Chinese members of Seventeen.

Now, him and Minhyun are a couple of steps behind the rest of the members, and Guanlin does his best to catch up. It's crazy how a year ago, he would shrink away from a crowd, but now he feels jumpy without the older members by his side.

There was another reason for Guanlin's itch to catch up. His eyes scan the bodies in front of him before they land on a familiar head, thrown back with laughter at something Seongwoo is saying. Guanlin's lips curl up as he watches the interaction.

When Guanlin and Minhyun finally arrive at the table, Guanlin tries to catch Jihoon's eyes, but Jihoon only smiles slightly at him before taking a seat between Jaehwan and Jisung. Guanlin pouts, having no choice but to let Minhyun steer him to sit next to him on the opposite side of the table. When Guanlin turns to look at Woojin on his other side, he sees the rapper smirk at him, as if knowing the reason behind Guanlin's disappointment. And knowing Park Woojin and his tendencies, Guanlin muses that he probably does.

"What?" He mouthes silently to Woojin, who only grins wider and sends him a not so subtle jeojang.

Guanlin rolls his eyes, playfully threatening to chuck the water bottle in front of him at Woojin, but the older just laughs, and Guanlin can't help but join in.

When he looks up, he sees Jihoon studying him from across the table. He tilts his head in a silent question, but Jihoon just shakes his head slightly before turning his attention back to the stage where the MCs were getting ready to start the show.

Guanlin sits back into his seat and waits for the lights to dim. He doesn't mind award shows; in fact, he likes them. They're long and time goes by extra slow when you're stuck in a seat for four hours, but Guanlin enjoys watching his fellow idols perform on stage.

Guanlin feels eyes trained on him from the start of the first performance. And not the usual fans' stares. He looks up and catches Jihoon's eyes, but before he can react, Jihoon's eyes are already sliding away, his focus taken up again by the performance.

The second time he feels eyes on him, he resists the prickly feeling running up his back, wanting to see how long it would take for Jihoon to look away. When the performance ends and Guanlin still feels Jihoon's eyes staring, he turns and meets them. Jihoon's eyes widen slightly before he looks away, but Guanlin catches the small smile on his lips as he does.

The night continues like this--Jihoon looking at Guanlin, Guanlin catching Jihoon, Jihoon turning away.

Guanlin is confused--is this a game? If it is, it isn't very fun, since he keeps getting distracted and can't focus on any of the performances. Which is such a shame because he was really looking forward to his NU'EST W hyungs' performance.

If this continues, Guanlin thinks as he catches Jihoon's eyes again, he's going to be so flustered that he'll mess up during their own performance.

But, as Jihoon turns a little pink and shifts his gaze elsewhere, Guanlin finds that he really doesn't mind the attention.

 

* * *

 

Award shows always fuel Guanlin to work harder. Watching all of the amazing performers on stage awed him and he promised himself he would do everything he could to some day perform as well as they could.

Which was why, coming back that night, Guanlin found himself sneaking out of dorms as everyone was washing up to go to bed.

Guanlin liked the new dorms. They were more spacious than their previous one, and he somehow talked the others into letting him have his own room this time around.

The members had stared at him with slacked jaws when he finished up his (slightly lengthy, he'll admit) argument of why he should have the single room. There had been no protests, and the only thing Jisung could muster out before agreeing was a "...your Korean has really improved, Guanlinie."

The other reason he liked the new dorms was because they were close to the practice rooms. Close enough so that on days like these, Guanlin is able to slip through the door and walk over without a need to inform anyone.

"Had a feeling I'd find you here," a voice comes from behind Guanlin, and he whips around in surprise.

Standing at the door of the practice room is Jihoon, his hair damp from a fresh shower.

"Hyung, what are you doing here?" Guanlin asks, walking over to the speakers to turn down the music.

He catches the water bottle Jihoon throws at him easily, and murmurs a quick word of thanks.

"I went to check your room but you weren't in there," Jihoon says, striding in and taking a seat against the mirrors.

Which wasn't really an answer to Guanlin's question, but he accepts it with a nod anyway.

Guanlin joins Jihoon on the floor and for a moment, only his labored breathing could be heard.

"You're improving a lot," Jihoon finally comments, turning his head slightly to smile at Guanlin.

Guanlin flushes at the compliment, ducking his head down. "Thanks, hyung. Not enough, though."

Jihoon shakes his head firmly. "You're doing well."

Guanlin hums gratefully, letting the silence engulf them once again.

It's never an uncomfortable silence with Jihoon, and Guanlin appreciates that more than anyone knows. He's always been a quiet child, and with that quietness came relentless internal musings of whether other people found his lack of words weird or awkward.

With Jihoon, the silence always felt nice, and Guanlin took comfort in the older's dependable presence.

Jihoon yawns, catching Guanlin's attention and he smiles at the sight.

"Sleepy?" he asks, scooting closer until they are side by side.

Jihoon nods slightly, letting his head fall onto Guanlin's shoulder.

"You should go back," Guanlin says, adjusting his posture so that Jihoon's head is nestled safely in the crook of his neck.

"Not without you," Jihoon mumbles, and Guanlin feels his heart stutter.

Sleepy Jihoon makes Guanlin's weak heart for him even weaker. Jihoon looks more vulnerable like this, his pretty eyes fluttering shut as his lips jut out in an unconscious pout. He's also more daring in his choice of words, saying things that alert Jihoon would find embarrassing.

It's at times like these that Guanlin wishes he could stop time and stare at Park Jihoon forever. These times when Guanlin is so sure of Jihoon's affection for him, when Jihoon makes it so obvious. But at other times...

"Hyung?" Guanlin prods softly.

"Mhm?"

"Why don't you sit next to me at award shows?" Guanlin asks, the question he's been holding in his heart the entire night bursting out, and he finally feels a weight lifted off of his shoulders.

Jihoon is silent for a minute, and Guanlin wonders, with a pounding heart, if the boy has fallen asleep.

"Because I can't see your face."

The answer is whispered so softly that Guanlin wonders if he dreamt it.

"You...what?"

Jihoon buries his head deeper into Guanlin's neck, as if doing so would make his entire being disappear as well. "I can't see your face if I sit right next to you."

This time, Guanlin is the one who falls silent, trying to absorb Jihoon's words.

"So you sit across from me..." Guanlin starts, his voice trailing off as he catches sight of Jihoon's expression.

Jihoon's cheeks are flushed pink, the color getting rosier by the second, and his previously sleep-hooded eyes are now open wide, the sincere twinkle in them overshadowing his nervous embarrassment.

"...so I can see you," Jihoon finishes, the cheek he is pressing into Guanlin's neck feeling strangely hot.

Guanlin leans against the mirror, the smile he had been trying to bite down betraying him and coming to a full bloom on his lips.

"So all that staring tonight was on purpose, huh," Guanlin muses, grinning even wider when he hears a squeak from Jihoon.

"Shut up," Jihoon mumbles, hitting Guanlin weakly on the shoulder.

Guanlin laughs before he puts an arm around the other, pulling him in. When Jihoon nuzzles closer, Guanlin brings up a finger to poke at Jihoon's cheek. Jihoon whines in protest and Guanlin smiles fondly before leaning over to plant a soft kiss on Jihoon's temple.

Jihoon's eyes are closed when Guanlin pulls away, and because those cheeks are flushed such a pretty pink, or because those enticing red lips are pouted just right, or maybe just because he wants to, Guanlin leans in last minute to press his lips to Jihoon's in a kiss.

Jihoon reacts quickly, pressing closer, lips never detaching, until Guanlin's head hits the mirror behind him. When he lets out a groan at the contact, Jihoon laughs, shy and beautiful, and Guanlin reacts similarly.

"Hey, Jihoon hyung?" Guanlin asks a little later, when they're both a little breathless and thoroughly kissed-out.

"Yeah?" Jihoon responds, his head finding that familiar crook in Guanlin's neck again as his hands search for Guanlin's.

Guanlin catches Jihoon's hand easily, intertwining their fingers together.

"I give you permission," Guanlin says cheekily, his tone teasing, "To stare at me anytime you want."

Jihoon splutters loudly, his face reddening, and Guanlin laughs at him.

And then Jihoon is tightening their fingers together, and Guanlin wonders if there is greater happiness than what he is feeling right now.

When Jihoon presses a soft kiss on the exposed skin of his neck, Guanlin smiles and thinks that there can't possibly be.

**Author's Note:**

> uh this was supposed to be like a 100 word drabble about panwink sitting across each other at gaon awards and being hella cute so idk how this whole thing happened but lol here you go!!!
> 
> [this](https://twitter.com/winking_baby/status/963810662752206849) is the vid that inspired this entire mess btw lol


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